


They Know

by WitchipediaAus



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Nymphs & Dryads, POV Second Person, Slow Burn, as slow as i can make it that is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-03-20 16:11:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13721292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchipediaAus/pseuds/WitchipediaAus
Summary: "Killing him would have made you just as bad, probably worse, so you find a way to destroy his power and seal him away. He’ll be back."





	1. The Village Fae

**Author's Note:**

> Mei: @ask-some-monsterhunters  
> Ophie: @askthemechanicalcamper  
> 

You don’t remember much about all your childhood - if you even had one. But, you’re one of the fae. Fae are fair; fae don’t deal with humans more than they have to; fae don’t accept being disrespected.

That’s what you know.

Other than that, you’re one of the spring fae. You lean towards soft and green stuff more easily than any other color.

You like being out in the spring and summer. There’s a lot to do, a lot of people to mess with, and the world is rather fascinating, especially when you have control over most of it.

You like making spring warmer, then colder. The humans hate being unable to predict it and, in turn, hold a grudge towards those who make it so. The others have their preferences, along with areas, but the Queen takes priority.

She likes warmth. The King likes the cold. As such, you take the Queen’s side in arguments.

Right now, after however many years you’ve been alive, you’re around the odd little village that’s managed to survive, despite all of your mischiefs.

_Admirable._

A few of the young ones are running around, going to the edge of the forest before they turn and return to the center. They have a ball that they’re kicking. It looks fun.

A few of the adults are cleaning clothes, others are talking and eating. There’s a person playing a song and another person is singing. It’s quite a nice sound. You’re tempted to go watch, probably hiding behind a wall since they haven’t reacted well to you in a while.

But then, you hear the cry of a kid. It’s from the forest. Curiosity is your downfall, you know that, but you let it take hold and wander over to the kid.

When you see it, there’s another on the ground and the one who cried out looks panicked. __Oh. Oh, I see.__

Dropping to the ground completely, you hide your wings and make sure you look as human as you can. There’s still a tell-tale shimmer behind you.

The kid - a boy, you decide, seeing the clothes - is still crying when you get close enough to him. “What’s wrong, kid?”

He doesn’t look up, “I-- My friend hit her head on a rock. She tripped, I don’t -” He sniffles and you grimace at the sound - “remember what happened.”

“She’s hurt, huh?”

“Y-yeah…”

Never good. You’ll get blamed, or the kid might and you can’t let a __kid__  get hurt.

“Hm,” You tap your chin, like you have to think, “well, maybe I can help?”

“R-really?”

“I don’t see why not…” You smile, eyes flashing. “But, I __would__  need something in return…”

The boy looks hesitant, but says, “A-anything, sir!”

__Sir… huh._ _

You bite back a smirk. “Anything, hm? Well, what about… two years in my world?”

He goes still like he hadn’t realized. You can feel his mind racing.

“Come on, kid. Two years in my world and your friend is completely healed. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

He nods, desperate, and you let yourself grin. “Then it’s a deal.”

…

The boy dies, eventually, but he did return to his world beforehand. Now you have nothing to do, no one to keep track of.

However, another hundred years have passed, so at least you can look at the new technology.

Actually, it's around one of the trinket shops that you meet the first important human in your life. Her name is Mei. She’s messy but brilliant and interesting to talk to.

You find yourself seeking her out, although she never tells you her full name. You understand why and, surprisingly, don’t hold anything against her for it. She ends up helping the people in the village think better of you.

When you met her friends, two of them knew what you were immediately. Mei hadn’t, but then again, how would she have?

You aren’t close to the rest of them. They don’t interest you, past the initial ‘new person’ feeling. Mei gives you trinkets, mainly as offerings but sometimes because she wants feedback.

Seeing as you can’t lie, she trusts you. You don’t know why, you don’t even think she __should__  trust you, but you let her.

You let her do a lot of things, truthfully.

That's the bad thing about never lying - you can’t lie to yourself, either. You know that you are too kind to this village. Too lenient. Mei can say anything to you, and you don’t think you’d be able to discipline her. She could insult you. You don’t know if you’d care.

You frown while you ponder. Mei looks up from her work table and smiles.

“Didn’t hear you come in! How’re you doing, Ophie?” She sounds so… happy. You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be messing with her, corrupting her.

“Well enough, my dear. What about you?” You ask, instead of confronting it.

“I’m doing great!” She grins, twisting her seat around. “Ryou got me another set of gears, so I can finally make the thing I was telling you about.”

“Sounds fun.” You smile in turn. “I can’t wait.”

…

You sit on her bed, in her room, a day after she dies.

They told you the story, the ones that are still alive.

She’d been fighting against another fae, a winter fae. He overpowered her, in the end, and killed both her and Jason.

When they had first told you and described what he looked like, you stormed off, all the spring winds and unpredictability flowing through you. You fought the winter fae, overpowering him in turn.

Killing him would have made you just as bad, probably worse, so you find a way to destroy his power and seal him away. _He’ll be back._

But you aren’t **there** , fighting him, right now. You’re on Mei’s bed, head on your knees and looking around.

You’ll probably never see it again. You have no reason to return.

You stand up once more and run a hand down her work table. The gears Ryou had bought her are still there, unopened. _She was never able to _…__  She’d been so excited too.

You glance around again and randomly pull open a drawer. There’s a few letters in it, separate ones addressed to everyone you’ve seen her talk to. You sigh when you see Jason’s.

You find yours and start reading it. It’s rushed, scribbly. You wonder when she made it.

The letter tells you about a reoccurring dream she’d been having about her dying of some magical wound. She writes that she never mentioned it because it didn’t seem important but - and the writing gets smudged here - they’ve been clearer and she can’t ignore them anymore.

The wound of her death stings more now, knowing that you could have avoided her dying.

… No. No, you couldn’t have. She’d have died from some magic, it just wouldn’t have been so… direct.

You pocket the letter and sigh, making a promise to leave the letters out in the open so they can find them. Then, you grab one of the small trinkets she’d set in her box - the one labeled ‘OG’, used mainly for things she wanted to show or give you - and leave.

You don’t go through the front door. You can’t bear to see that many heart-broken humans at once, not when you know why.

You can’t risk crying ~~again~~.

Instead, you leave through her window. It’s easy to do, but it makes you walk further to get to the forest.

As you travel through the streets, you hear people talking.

“Did you hear what happened?”

“Of course. Can you believe it?”

“He’s a hero!”

“Maybe, but… don’t you think its too soon to say that?”

You shake your head and walk past, pulling your hair over your ears.

_Stupid, stupid humans._


	2. The Grove

_She stands against the wind, on rocks and surrounded by flowers. She looks more peaceful than anything I’ve seen. Perhaps…_

You smile, tracing the words and how they flow. Cara never failed to surprise you.

You push a flower back into place, before sighing and pulling the flowers out of your hair. Some of them hurt to pull, but most are painless.

You stand once more, closing the book and placing it in your worn out bag.

You need to get moving again, before they find you. __Too bad the grove’s off limits.__

They’d never find you there, but you can’t risk it.

You’re distracted. Pulling yourself out of your thoughts, you start walking with no destination in mind.

So long as you’re moving, you should be fine, which lets you think about things.

..

You used to be able to hide easier. There used to be so much more cover, more trees… more friends, people. But then the humans invaded.

It was fine at first. There were only a few anyway, so it didn’t matter when they started asking around to see what trees they could cut without angering anything. They were respectful, thankful, and kind.

Then, more people came. There was war. There was blood, invaders, and then they stopped asking for advice and permission. They took and took and took.

So many nymphs and dryads dead, just because humans were impatient. _Pathetic._

Though, they weren’t all bad.

There were a few you knew over the years that apologized, that hated what their brethren had done, were doing. One of your favorites was Cara.

They were hated by the village, mostly, anyway. Witches weren’t accepted by the majority of humans, and mixing that with their pronouns…

It wasn’t a fun fight.

They found sanctuary within the forest, and especially within your grove. They wrote in their book, teaching you how to read and write along the way. They even made you a few flower crowns, enchanting them so they never died.

You keep the crowns in the grove, not willing to see if they could get destroyed. You can’t risk it.

Watching Cara leave was terrible. Especially when you’d hear them called ‘she’ and ‘her’ while you were walking along the edge of the forest.

Cara drew you, once, although they took the picture home. Your favorite part was the vines, how they made them twist around your legs and arms. They got your clothes down pat, too, which couldn’t have been easy, seeing as your belt and skirt had oddly specific and complicated designs.

They liked to take naps in your grove too, pressed against the tree in the middle or lying in your lap. They were adorable either way.

… Irrelevant. They’re dead now anyway.

You’re on the edge of the forest again, but instead of the village, you’re next to a river leading to a field. You’ve been here before.

Cara liked this place. They were the one that found it, too.

You can’t go there, not right now. It doesn’t have enough cover. But maybe…

Turning to a tree, you start climbing. The vines on your feet get stuck and slow you down, but you manage to get high enough to be safe for another hour or so.

_Hopefully, they'll leave this place soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cara: @the-witch-camper  
> felicia: @ask-the-author-camper


	3. A Nymph and A Fae

The kids are looking at you from where they sit, a few of them still wary of you. Most of them, however, are asking for another story. You don’t have a lot to tell them, not unless you want to get personal…

_Aha _.__  “Have I ever told the story of how I met the nymph that lives near here?”

There’s a chorus of ‘no’s and ‘nope’s.

“Well then…” You shift, sitting more upright on the rock. “Fae and nymphs don’t mix well, not usually. There’s a lot of distrust and fear between both parties, even though both are connected to nature…”

…

You’d been walking around the forest, looking for a new target or a nice place to rest. You couldn’t find anything that felt right, causing you to feel annoyed, the grass under your feet turning to a dark brown.

Finally stopping, you lean against a tree. Humans don’t seem fun at the moment. More… confusing with their reactions than anything else.

You think for a few more minutes, debating with yourself, before a scream distracts you.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shi--” There’s a nymph barreling down a hill. She’s younger than the others you've seen, but not by much. _Still old._  She freezes when she’s in front of you.

You smirk and she reels into a defensive mode again. “What are you screamin’ for?”

“... They’re here.” _Vague._

“What does that mean?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing. Everything. I don’t know.” She shivers, almost on the verge of collapsing in on herself. “I don’t know who they are, what they want, why they exist, what they are-- I don’t **know** anymore!”

Reaching forward in a moment of weakness, you rest a hand on her shoulder. She lets out a sob. “Whoa, whoa, calm down. I’m here, you’re safe. They can’t hurt you.”

She makes a disbelieving sound, giving up and falling into you. It’s odd, to see such a strong type of spirit break down. Actually, it’s odd to see people break down period, especially when it's not your doing.

“They- they can’t find the grove. _They can’t_ , not again, never again. No human - or otherwise, _gods, what are they?_  - can, no, no, no...” She continues with similar ramblings that make you more ~~concerned~~ curious by the minute.

You make shushing noises, the kind you hear the mothers in the village make. It seems to calm the nymph down, a little.

When she gets the strength to move again, she falls to the ground and starts messing with the leaves. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine.” There’s a pause. “How long have you been running?”

“An hour, a day. A week, maybe.” She laughs, a sound that’s almost as dry as fire. “I’m not keeping track of time. Distance, to an extent, but not time.”

“Huh. What’s your name?”

She hesitates. “Call me… Felicia.” _Not her actual name, then._

“Nice name.” She nods. “I’m Ophie.”

“Nickname, I assume?”

“Yep.”

…

You end up guiding her to an area near your home; close enough that she’s safe, but far enough that the others don’t have the upper hand.

She seems broken, as she sits, looking over the blowing grass. She’s pressing and pushing at the vines on her legs, running a finger across the flower placed on her left knee.

There’s not a lot you can do now, so you ignore her in favor of asking around for information.

_We’ll figure this out soon._


	4. Royalty

The scribes rush around you as you wander along the halls. The architecture is impressive and you’re always awed when you look up. But.

There’s more out __there__  than there is here. You want to _explore,_ not stay in this castle, just to be married off…

“Princess!” The new guard runs up to you. You still don’t think he’s ‘new’, not with that **look**  in his eyes. He has the aura of the oldest guards, though you think he has more experience. “There you are!”

“Were you looking for me?” You smile, softly.

“Yeah! Well, a lot of us are. Your parents want to see you!”

“Ah…”

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll defend you from any threat, just like I promised.” You look at the ground and grin.

“Of course. Well, I ought to head over then…”

“Let me walk with you.” He doesn’t really give you a choice, as he keeps up with your strides with graceful, almost practiced, ease.

He talks as you walk. You learn his name - Damien - and that he’s mainly here because he has a distinct _feeling_ that something’s going to happen and he needs to be here for it.

He tells you of an old friend of his, long dead, along with someone he lives with. He refers to her as his ‘sister’ before making a low comment that ‘she’s not really my sister, we say that so people don’t get the wrong idea.’

You wonder why, if they were so close, they didn’t feel that way for each other, but you don’t mention it. It seems like an inappropriate thing to mention.

Then, you reach the throne room. He stops at the door, behind you.

“Well, Princess, I best be going.” He salutes as he walks away. You swear you saw a flash as he turned a corner.

You take a deep breath, distracting yourself from what just happened and focusing on what will happen.

You enter the room.

Mother is talking to one of the servants, demanding that they get her whatever she’s wanting now. Father is signing documents, making demands, and complaining quietly about how complicated relations are.

Taking the kneeling position you’d been taught, you say, “Greetings, Mother, Father.”

Mother doesn’t acknowledge you. Father looks at you and nods.

“Amber.” You don’t like the tone. “How is the deal going?”

“Well enough. Peter… He’s offering a lot, more than anyone else so far.”

“Good.” He’s about to say more but a guard rushes in.

“My king! There’s a woman here, claiming she’s heard plans of a rebellion!” Father sighs, standing.

“Bring her here.”

…

You’re sent out of the room as they talk.

You don’t have much to do, seeing as Peter just left to check up on his kingdom and Damien abandoned you, so you head to the gardens.

It’s always bothered you that you can’t work on them with the servants. Taking care of flowers and food sounds… better. Better than this life, of being a princess, of being married off, of absolute perfection. A life where anything other than peace, gracefulness, and perfection is unacceptable. Of shame.

You sit on a bench and sigh, fighting the urge to curl in on yourself. You sit the way you were taught to.

_Run away,_  says a voice. There’s nothing connected to it.

You look around. _I can’t._

_Yes, you can. Have some faith, kid._  The voice sounds like its laughing. _Oh dear. Hold on a minute._

You sit there, breathing. You aren’t planning on moving, even if the voice hadn’t spoken.

“Hey, Princess.” Damien’s next to you again. “I knew there was a reason I had to be here.”

“What are you?” You don’t mean to be so harsh.

“A friend, I hope.” He sits next to you, looking at the sky. “I don’t know what I am, actually. Most call me a demon. Sis says I’m just a creature of nature, like her.”

“Ah.”

“Speaking of my sis, she’s the one who distracted them. She’s messing with them, you know. The rebellion plans are true, but she’s not going to rat them out. She’s - well, we’re the leaders, really.”

“... why are you telling me?” You look at him. He shrugs as he looks back at you.

“Figured you’d want to know.”

“I could tell them.”

“You won’t.” He sounds so sure of himself. You don’t like it. “Listen, I want to ask something of you.”

“Alright.”

“Heh. The rebellion has a few members who work here, but what we really need is someone who can get close without drawing too much attention. You don’t have to, we have a person who can work in your place, but… we need you to teach them if you don’t.”

You hesitate. He smiles slightly, comforting.

“I still say you should run away. We can provide you with a… place that will protect you.”

“Really?”

“Yep. In return, though, I want you to teach our inside person the ins and outs. Will you?”

You tap your knee. Freedom, at the cost of allowing people to overthrow your parents.

“You don’t have to decide now. I can give you… a week, longer if Sis can lie well enough.”

You nod and he stands. Damien puts a hand on your shoulder, “I’ll be around, Princess.” With that, he’s gone. The flash happens again.

You best get going too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damien/Sis(Serephina): @ask-some-monsterhunters  
> Amber: @ask-the-misfits


	5. The Thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i gave up halfway through so this is short

_Fuck._ You’re at the castle. You didn’t mean to come here, there’s no reason to be here yet. But there’ll be food, you suppose, and that might be worth it.

If you don’t get caught.

You don’t know the layout, you don’t know the schedules of the guards, you don’t know where you need to be.

You don’t know a lot, but you don’t need to. There’s a path and a bunch of shrubbery leading into a secluded area. It has to be food.

Or, maybe just something important. You need money too, so both work.

Deciding quickly, you march down the path, making sure no one can see you.

…

You’ve been in the garden for maybe ten minutes and you’ve already got pocketfuls of food and your hat stuffed with tiny pieces of jewelry no one noticed was missing. You didn’t even have to steal the gold!

You grin as you continue walking, trying to find a way out now. Usually, you don’t get lost, but someone made this place a maze with no solution.

Hm. That way, or turn around? Does it matter? How are you suppo-

“Shi--oot!” You bump into someone. You fall, but they don’t.

The first thing you notice - other than the fact that you got caught - is her fancy dress. The next is her hand, reaching towards you to help you up. Reluctantly, you take it, coming face-to-face with the prettiest face you’ve ever seen - the princess. _Oh shit._

“Are you okay?” She asks, concern in her eyes. It’s been awhile since someone’s _actually_ been concerned for you. It throws you off.

So you nod, unable to find your voice.

“Are you sure?” You just stare, so she continues, “You shouldn’t be here. You’re lucky everyone’s busy, or you could’ve died. Come on, I’ll show you the way out.”

…

You continue to visit her, mainly because she told you how. Between meetings with Damien and her, you almost don’t have time to sleep.

But you manage and keep up appearances.

It’s when you're with her that Damien decides she needs to make a decision.

You’re somewhat surprised that they’ve been speaking about it, but wave it off. Weirder things have happened.

She looks at you and him. Pauses, considers. You don’t think she knows that you’re the one who’s going to do it. She blinks, looks at the floor, and then nods. “Alright, fine. I’ll do it.”

You and Damien grin. “Glad to be workin’ with you, Amber.” He says, “We’ve stolen a few maps, so you don’t need to stay if you don’t want to.”

She nods, “I’d rather leave. I don’t think I can do this if I’m not… separated.”

“I understand that. Alright, let’s go, get your stuff packed. Jazz can show you the way over.”

**Author's Note:**

> talk to me @tardigod on tumblr!  
> leave a comment, please!


End file.
